Gallaudet University sophomore Brandon Washington, among the nation’s most versatile college football players, is the DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Player of the Week after his standout performance led the Bison to a comeback victory.

For the second time this season, Washington rushed for a touchdown, threw a touchdown pass and caught a touchdown pass all in the same game as Gallaudet scored the final 20 points to beat Dean College, 26-23, to remain unbeaten in Eastern College Football Conference play.

Washington, who is from Citronelle, Alabama, usually lines up at quarterback or slotback in Gallaudet’s triple-option offense. While the Bison were steady the past several seasons at quarterback with standout Timel Benton, this season there was a vacancy that Washington has helped fill.

Against Dean, Washington completed 2 of 3 passes for 20 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown, rushed 19 times for 51 yards, including a six-yard touchdown, and caught three passes for 53 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown.

“Brandon is such a threat that we just put him where he can get the ball in his hands,” Gallaudet Coach Chuck Goldstein said, noting that Washington usually lines up at quarterback for at least half of the team’s offensive snaps. “He can do everything. He really is special. He could play at a higher level. We’re lucky to have him.”

Washington played wide receiver in high school and lined up in that position last year as a freshman. With an eye on the future, though, Goldstein said that the coaches last fall began working with Washington on learning the quarterback position. At the same time, the Bison have the flexibility to put Washington at wide receiver, where he usually faces man-to-man coverage while opposing defenses focus on stopping the run.

Earlier this season, in a 34-31 win over the University of New England, Washington threw two touchdown passes, rushed 28 times for 160 yards and one touchdown and caught two passes for 60 yards, including the game-winning 20-yard score.

For the season, Washington has completed 5 of 8 passes for 104 yards and three touchdowns, rushed for a team-leading 478 yards and four touchdowns and caught a team-leading 13 passes for 257 yards and all three touchdowns thrown by the Bison’s other quarterback, Nicholas Maccini.

Goldstein said he first learned about Washington from a mass email he sends out annually to 27,000 high school football coaches nationally, asking if they have any deaf or hard-of-hearing players. Growing up in Citronelle, Alabama, in the southwestern corner of the state, Washington was mainstreamed and attended Citronelle High School. He lost an estimated half of the hearing in his right ear because of an ear infection when he was young.

“In the classroom, he sits on the right side of the classroom and in the front, because he good ear is his left ear, so he can hear everyone to the left,” Goldstein said. “He can read lips. And now he is learning a new skill, American Sign Language.”

This week’s DC Touchdown Club Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week Honor Roll is:

Hampden-Sydney WR Mason Cunningham (Yorktown) caught nine passes for 130 yards and two touchdowns as the Tigers beat Averett, 37-26.
Christopher Newport QB Matt Dzierski (South County) completed 18 of 24 passes for 186 yards and two touchdowns and rushed 27 times for 51 yards and two touchdowns as the Captains beat Kean, 24-13.
Shepherd DB Donte Harrison (Carroll) returned a fumble 60 yards for a touchdown and returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown as the undefeated Rams beat Millersville, 55-17.
Maryland RB Roman Hemby rushed 17 times for 107 yards and one touchdown as the Terrapins beat Indiana, 38-33.
Rhode Island QB Kasim Hill (St. John’s) completed 17 of 29 passes for 201 yards and rushed 13 times for 73 yards and one touchdown as the Rams beat Elon, 17-10.
Albany QB Reese Poffenbarger (Middletown) completed 26 of 35 passes for 337 yards and four touchdowns as the Great Danes lost to Hampton, 38-37 in overtime.
Southern Cal QB Caleb Williams (Gonzaga) completed 25 of 42 passes for 385 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 57 yards as the Trojans lost to Utah, 43-42.
Sacred Heart WR Kenneth Womack (Bishop McNamara) caught eight passes for 173 yards as the Pioneers beat Stonehill, 40-27.